Christmas Wishes of Love (Highlander Vows: Entangled Hearts #11)

Prologue

Isle of Skye, Scotland

“Look at them all,” Lillith MacLeod grumbled, more to herself than to her twin beside her. “Every da dancing with his daughter except ours.”

“Aye,” Lenora replied in a longing whisper. “I wish we were out there dancing.”

Lillith did too, and the desire made her chest ache something fierce.

She stared into the thick throng of her clansmen and women, longing to be among them, dancing, laughing, and celebrating the annual Winter Solstice.

Instead, she and Lenora stood at the edge of the great hall dance floor.

She curled her hands into fists at her sides as a lump settled in her chest.

“I’m going to talk to da,” she huffed, taking a step toward the dais where their da sat in conversation with one of the visiting lairds.

Lenora grabbed Lillith from behind. “Do nae do it, Lillith! Da’s wearing the vexed frown, and ye ken how grumpy he is when his face looks like that.”

“His face always looks like that, and he’s always grumpy,” Lillith grumbled as she turned to meet Lenora’s blue gaze, which everyone said looked exactly like Lillith’s.

“Ye’re going to get us both in trouble!” Lenora whined.

That was likely true. It seemed that when one of them got a scolding, the other did too, even if they’d done nothing wrong, but Lillith didn’t care at that moment. “I want to dance!” she replied instead, stomping her foot, as tears of frustration filled her eyes.

Immediately, Lenora’s eyes filled with tears as well. “Me, too,” she whispered, “and ye’re right. Da has been frowning likely since the day mama died.” Lenora cocked her head, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Do ye wish me to come with ye?” she asked, her voice trembling with fear.

Warmth filled Lillith’s chest that her sister would ask, but she shook her head. “Mayhap if ye’re nae in sight, ye’ll nae be punished if that’s what comes about.”

Lenora bit her lip. “Ye’re certain?”

“Aye. There’s nae any sense in us both getting a scolding if it can be helped.” She pulled away from her sister’s grasp and drew a deep breath for courage, as Uncle Brus always said to do.

“I’ll be waiting right here,” Lenora called out from behind Lillith as she’d already turned away to step into the swirling mass of dancers.

She ducked beneath extended arms and slipped between swaying hips, weaving a path toward her da.

As she got closer, she could see that his lips were pressed in a hard line that made her tummy start to ache and doubt creep in. Should she turn back?

Just then, a burst of laughter washed over her, and she looked to the right to see Mary Frances being twirled in the air by her da.

Their gazes met, and Mary Frances stuck her tongue out at Lillith.

No, she’d not turn back. She wanted to show Mary Frances that Lillith’s da loved her just the same as—no, more—than Mary Frances’s da loved her.

It was bad enough that Mary Frances was constantly blabbering about her mama and how she spun a bedtime story every night.

Lillith’s mama was dead, but her da wasn’t, and she wanted to blabber to Mary Frances about how much her da, the very important Laird MacLeod, loved her and Lenora the most of any daughter ever.

She could not remember her mama, but she had a faint memory of her da being happy and loving once, and Uncle Brus and Aunt Elena had confirmed when she’d asked them that da had most certainly been happy.

And they ought to know since they were his siblings.

They also said he was still loving—it was just currently hard for him to show it.

In front of Lillith, a pair of dancers twirled apart, and she seized her chance to dart out of the crowd, surprised when she found herself before the dais.

She’d not realized she was quite that close.

She suddenly got all hot and sticky, and her tummy felt queasy.

She stared up at the dais that raised her da and the other laird above the crowd.

Her da was as big as a giant! How had she never noticed that?

She forced herself to square her shoulders and lift her chin. “Da,” she called, hearing the tremble in her voice. “Will ye dance with me?”

He dragged his gaze from the laird he’d been talking to and settled it on her. She didn’t know how it was possible, but his frown got fiercer, and the man beside him looked like his face might crack. Lillith’s legs wanted to stop holding her upright, but she locked her knees in place.

“Nae now, Lillith. I’m busy.”

Lillith felt her brows dip together, and her heart speed up. “Ye’re always busy.”

“That,” her da said, his eyes now narrowing upon her, “is because I’m laird. Now off with ye.”

“I want to dance!” she burst out.

“MacLeod,” the man beside her da bit out, “if ye kinnae control yer own wee lass, how can ye expect me to believe ye can command yer warriors to stop the Mathesons from invading yer lands and then coming for my stronghold?”

“I can control my daughter,” her da growled, his gaze looking more like a thunder cloud by the second. “Lillith, get back to yer sister and stop pestering me for silly things like dancing.”

She was going to cry. Her lip was doing that trembling thing, and her eyes were burning, and her throat was suddenly tight.

She jerked her head in a nod and turned away as the first tear fell.

Stop pestering him. She was a nuisance to her da.

So was Lenora. He didn’t have time for them.

Or was it that he didn’t want to make the time for them?

She didn’t know, but she knew she was sad.

Really, really sad. She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears, but they flowed hot over her cheeks and blurred her vision.

She hurried through the dancers to get back to Lenora, nearly colliding with several people. Suddenly, a large, warm hand caught her by the arm from behind.

“Where are ye off to in such a hurry, lass?”

Lillith turned toward her Uncle Brus’s voice. He was already crouching in front of her, so that his face became immediately level with hers. “Why are yer cheeks red?” Lillith blurted, wishing she hadn’t been caught crying.

“Too much celebration,” he replied, tipping up the wine goblet clutched in his hand. “Now, why are ye crying?” he asked, pushing her hair back from her face with calloused fingers to tuck it behind her ear.

Lillith’s bottom lip trembled again, this time out of gratitude. At least her uncle loved her. She bit down on her lip to try to stop the trembling, but it was no use. Fresh tears welled up and spilled over. “Da does nae love me and Lenora,” she blurted out, her voice breaking.

Without a word, he pulled her into his arms, enfolding her in an embrace that smelled of wine, leather, and the faintest trace of the forge where he sometimes helped the blacksmith.

“Hush now,” he murmured against the top of her head. “’Tis nae ye. ’Tis him. He’s forgotten how to love ever since yer mama broke his heart.”

Lillith hiccupped, confusion momentarily cutting through her distress. “By dying?” she asked.

Uncle Brus opened his mouth and looked like he was going to say something, then he fell silent for a moment, before finally saying, “Aye, lass. By dying.”

Lillith wrinkled her nose, trying to make sense of it all. “Mama died, and da forgot how to smile?”

“Something like that,” he replied, chucking her under the chin as a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Do nae grow up to be like him, wee Lillith. Ye keep yer happiness and smiles, ye hear? Do nae let sorrow turn ye to stone.”

“Brus MacLeod!” came her Aunt Elena’s sharp voice above them. Uncle Brus rolled his eyes at Lillith, but when he looked up at her aunt, he had a somber expression on his face.

“Hello, sister.”

Aunt Elena knelt beside Lillith. Her silk skirts pooled around her on the rush-strewn floor. “Do nae pay him any mind,” she said, her tone gentle. “He’s in his cups.” She shot Uncle Brus a dark look to which he shrugged. “And he’s vexed with yer da.”

Lillith got the feeling she was supposed to nod, so she did. Aunt Elena patted Lillith on the head, before her aunt poked Uncle Brus in the chest. “Ye should be ashamed, filling Lillith’s head with such talk. Can ye nae see she’s upset enough?”

Brus scoffed, rising to his full height with only a slight wobble. “I may be in my cups and vexed, but my words were true,” he replied, his tone defiant despite the slurring of his words. “Love broke our brother.”

Aunt Elena shook her fist at Uncle Brus. “I’m going to break yer thick skull if ye do nae get out of my sight.”

“Fine, fine!” Uncle Brus said, throwing up his empty hand. “I’m going.” With that, he straightened his plaid, gave Aunt Elena a mocking bow, and strode away.

“Do nae pay yer uncle any heed, child,” Aunt Elena said.

Lillith nibbled her lip, considering. She knew her aunt wanted her to feel better, but her uncle’s words were actually making her feel better.

She finally understood. Her da was broken by love.

If she could fix him, then he’d dance, smile, and laugh, and not think her and Lenora pesky burdens.

“I’ll nae, Auntie Elena,” Lillith lied, sensing it would be easier this way. “I’m going to go find Lenora.”

“All right, Lillith. Are ye certain ye’re alright?”

“Aye, Auntie,” Lillith fibbed again. She felt bad about it, truly. She loved her aunt, but some adults did not seem to understand certain things, like how love could break you and that sometimes monsters were under beds.

Her aunt kissed her on the cheek, then Lillith made her way toward Lenora as Uncle Brus’s words filled her head.

Love had broken her da. If love could hurt someone as strong and big as her da, maybe she should guard against it?

She had no notion at all how one did that, but she’d figure it out.

Before she even came to a complete stop in front of her sister, she blurted, “I ken what’s wrong with Da now. ”

Lenora’s eyes went wide. “He told ye?”